1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic devices. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for mirroring data between two or more electronic devices.
2. The Relevant Technology
Numerous forms of electronic devices are proliferating today. One example is satellite radio, or Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS), which is the broadcast of digital audio programming via satellites directly to users. Through satellite radio, subscribers can receive high quality, uninterrupted, digital data such as radio over more than one hundred radio channels. The digital data may include, for example, digital quality music, talk radio, sports, news, weather, and the like. Often, a user of satellite radio has a small portable device they use to receive the digital data stream. Other examples of electronic devices are portable digital audio devices, often referred to as MP3 players, portable CD players, portable DVD players, notebook computers, personal digital assistants (“PDAs”) and the like.
Regardless of the type of electronic device, it is often desirable for multiple users to simultaneously experience (e.g., view/hear) content or other device output. For instance, friends frequently wish to share music on their portable music players. However, many portable music players in use today include a single headphone jack and no other means for audio output, which can prevent the friends from simultaneously experiencing the music. As another example, a user of a PDA or other device may wish to share a visual presentation or other digital content stored on the PDA with business associates or other individuals. However, the relatively small screen sizes of most PDAs significantly limits the number of individuals that can experience visual content presented thereon. As yet another example, users of consumer electronic devices often experience problems with their devices that can be easier to resolve by showing to a customer service representative than by attempting to explain to a customer service representative over the phone. However, customer service representatives are often located far from users.
Various methods have been attempted for overcoming these challenges. Friends may connect their portable music player to a speaker system or share headphones. Either or both of these can be bothersome to the public, cumbersome and/or unsanitary. PDA users can display their presentations on a projector or provide hardcopies of presentations if the necessary resources, such as projectors and copy machines, are available. Users of consumer electronic devices can go to a retail outlet where their device was purchased and request help from a knowledgeable employee.
Clearly, conventional methods for overcoming these and other challenges are inadequate. Accordingly, improved methods and systems permitting multiple users to experience content and other device output are needed.